The Microsoft Local Software Economy (LSE) Initiative is a catalyst in the creation of vibrant national software economies, working with local communities to accelerate innovation in the ICT industry and create job opportunities that foster socioeconomic growth.
Information and communications technology (ICT) has become a primary driver of economic growth around the world, giving rise to the 21st-century knowledge economy. Government policymakers, business leaders and educators in most countries recognize that empowering citizens with ICT skills and nurturing strong local software economies are crucial to creating social opportunity, economic growth and the ability to compete effectively in global markets.
Local Software Economy teams in more than 60 countries work closely with local stakeholders to foster strong, self-sustaining software ecosystems that advance countries’ overall economic health. Key Local Software Economy priorities include the following:
o Supporting government programs that encourage entrepreneurial growth in the ICT industry
o Cultivating local communities of qualified IT product and service providers
o Strengthening the competencies of local software developers
o Providing college students with training and work experiences that boost their employability
o Helping new businesses overcome challenges and capitalize on opportunities
Microsoft’s partnerships in the software ecosystem are integral to fulfilling these Local Software Economy objectives.
o Microsoft works with more than 750,000 partners worldwide.
o Nearly 90 percent of Microsoft's revenue is generated through this network of partners—most of which are small, innovative companies that hire locally and contribute to their country’s GDP.
o For every $1 in revenue that Microsoft earns, local businesses realize between $6 and $19 in revenue.
o Through ecosystems of partners, we help people build skills, get jobs, create new businesses and expand their existing businesses.
o The vast majority of these businesses are small, innovative companies that hire locally and contribute to their country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
Local Software Economy Programs
Venture Capital and Startup Engagement
IP Ventures
Imagine Cup and Innovation Accelerator
Microsoft Innovation Centers (MICs)
Independent Software Vendor (ISV) Royalty Licensing
Independent Software Vendor (ISV) Quality Assurance
Interoperability Labs
Industry Clusters
Job Enablement Programs
Venture Capital and Startup Engagement:
o We help software startups succeed by connecting them with potential investors in the venture capital community and helping them identify partnership opportunities with Microsoft.
o Startups gain access to regional and corporate contacts that can help them engage with Microsoft on potential areas for collaboration, as well as tap into additional technical and marketing resources.
IP Ventures:
o This program helps entrepreneurs, startups and corporations to license leading-edge Microsoft technologies. These technologies have the potential for fast commercialization and a quick return on investment, whether by addressing a specific need in an existing market or giving rise to an entirely new product category.
Imagine Cup
o This annual technology competition provides a chance for university and high school students to compare ideas, gain practical experience and demonstrate their imagination in creating solutions to pressing global issues.
o More than 100,000 students from 111 countries competed in the 2007 Imagine Cup.
o The top six Software Design teams from the worldwide finals of the Microsoft Imagine Cup competition are invited to attend the Imagine Cup Innovation Accelerator. This two week program gives them a chance to work closely with technology experts and business professionals from Microsoft, British Telecom, other leading IT companies and top universities on strategies for transforming their software concepts into working, marketable products.
Microsoft Innovation Centers (MICs):
Our network of 110 Microsoft Innovation Centers serves 100 communities in 60 nations. MICs provide access to world-class resources for software developers, IT professionals, students, academic researchers and entrepreneurs. MICs focus on:
o Building skills and intellectual capital through training courses, employment programs and mentoring experiences.
o Fostering industry partnerships through programs that help companies to work more successfully with Microsoft, as well as through the cultivation of local and regional industry alliances.
Independent Software Vendor (ISV) Royalty Licensing:
o This software licensing program helps ISV partners worldwide to more easily combine Microsoft technology with their own business software applications for commercial distribution.
Independent Software Vendor (ISV) Quality Assurance:
o ISV Quality Assurance guides software developers and IT managers through the life cycle of a software engineering project, from training and consultation through assessment and certification..
Interoperability Labs:
o Microsoft Innovation Centers around the world are at the forefront of Microsoft's efforts to enable greater interoperability among different software technology platforms which can give information and communication technology (ICT) companies a powerful competitive advantage.
Industry Clusters:
o We assist in the formation of industry clusters made up of companies that share a common market, along with related trade associations and public sector organizations.
Job Enablement Programs:
o We sponsor a range of educational opportunities designed to help increase the pool of qualified workers who are available to meet local companies' growing demand for highly skilled IT professionals and to guide workers toward rewarding job opportunities in the technology sector.
